Construction of rigid airships



Jan. V17, 1928.

1,656,830 V. C. RICHMOND ET AL CONSTRUCTION, op RIGID AIRSHIPS Filed om.`25, 1924 /CVQ 3.

Ykzd/eams lzexzf'/U/zez?) d Zgrge''f @O @a @Wy/@ mrzzg Patented Jan.`17, 1928.

UNITEDl STATES 'VTNCENT CRANE RIVCHMONDfOF HARROTN-ONPTHE-HILLATNDGEORGE HERBERT SCOTT,

OF PURLEY, `ENGrLAlNlD.

,. 'CONSTRUGTION- OFRIGID AIRSHIPS.

Application led October 23, 19M, Serial No. 745,462, and in GreatBl'itanctober 30, 1923.

This invention relates to the construction of rigid airships the hullstructure ofwhich comprises transverse frames and peripherallongitudinal girders, and hasifor its primary 6 object to obviate anylateral load kon the longitudinal girders consequent upon thetransmission of the lift of the gasbags to the hull of the airship. Thisis effected according to the present invention by an' arrange- U ment ofenveloping wiring for the gasbags which transfers all load duc to gaspresi sure from the longitudinal girders to the transverse frames, thediagonally arranged vwires of t-he enveloping system being attached totheitransverse gir-ders only, either directly or through interposedlinkage, and not to any longitudinal member. y

The surfacewhich includes the diagonally strung wires between adjacenttransverse 20 frames may be given a regular or more or less regularshape; for example, with two sets of parallel wires diagonally stretchedbetween two transverse frames at the same angle on either side withrespect to the longitudinal axis, the surface containing the wires priorto distortion by gas pressure would be a hyperboloid of revolution, andby varying the angular relation between wires and transverse frames orthe initial 3o tension or slackness ofk the wires, the curvaj ture ofthe resulting containing surface can be varied substantially as may befound desirable sothat, for example, thecurvature of the surface may bearranged to be a maximum at the top o f the ship where the pressure isGreatest, and a minimum atthe bottom. imilarly the spacing of the wiresand/ortheir gauge may be varied in any desirable manner, as for exampleby increasing the distance between successive wires from the top pointof the frames downward.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein Fig. lis a diagrammatic transverse section of a rigid airship; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a section or bay of same; and Fig. 3 a developedside elevation of same.

In these diagrammatic drawings A, A represent two adjacent maintransverse frames;

5o B the main longitudinal girders and B the auxiliary longitudinalgirders as in the usual construction of rigid airships. The wires of theenveloping system of the gasbag are denoted generally by C, and theselwires extend diagonally between the two main transverse frames A, A,being connected at their ends either directly with the said transverseframes; orwith catenaries D or linking wires or bridles which, as showninthe drawings, are connected with A the main transverse frames Abetween successive main longitudinal girders B. The result of thisconstrucvtion is that the enveloping wires C lie in an outwardly concavecurved surface, the curvature of which may be varied as desired, asabove explained, and the production and presence of this inward bulge inthe enveloping wires is an essential feature of this invention.

In? the construction shown in the drawings the inclination of theenveloping wires at the top part of one section or bay is such that awire, which is attached to one of the transverse frames at a pointthereon corre spending with the intersection of a given loads beingtransferred to points more or less low down on the transverse frames,according to the inclination of the wires.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the bestmeanswe `know of carrying the same into practical effect, we claim 1. Ina rigid airship embodying trans-v verse ring-shaped girders,longitudinal members and gasbags, enveloping wiring for the gasbagscomprising wires stretched between adjacent transverse girders andextending vdiagonally with respect to and free of the `longitudinalmembers, said wires forming inwardly bulging cages for the gasbags.

2. In a rigid airship according to claim l, means for connecting thediagonal wiresto the transverse girders comprising catenaries or linkagewires or bridles looped between nic t longitudinal members `and gasbags,envelop-` a series of points around the transverse girders and to whichthe ends of said dlagonal wires are connected.

3. In the construction of rigid airsliips` embodying' transversering-shaped girders,

ing Wiring forming inwardly bulging cages for the. gnsbags andeoinprising*` two series of mutually inclined diagonally arranged Wiresextendingbetween adjacent pairs of main transverse, frames and passingWithin thelonpgitndinnl members Without Contact therewith :itinterniwiinte points thereof between adj eeen t tra nsverse frames.

`4c. In the construction 'of rigid airships embodying transversegirders; longitudinal lnive signed our

